Shoe and process of making the same



Oct 22, 1935. A. J. BRAUER ET AL 2,018,510

SHOE AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Filed July 1, 1932 7 imam Bow:

Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Arthur J. Brauer and Frederick P. Wagner, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Brauer Bros., Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 1, 1932, Serial No. 620,344

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to shoes and particularly to a process of making shoes whereby some of the seams are either avoided or concealed.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a shoe wherein the minimum number of seams will be present and wherein some of the seams, although present, will be concealed from view.

Another object of this invention is to provide a process of making shoes wherein the back seam is eliminated.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a shoe and process of making the same wherein the back seam is eliminated and the joint between the upper materials and the lining therefor is concealed. 1

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a development of a continuous piece of upper material shaped to form quarter and back portions of a shoe.

Figure 2 is a view of an upper assembly illustrating one step in the process of making a shoe of the drop top type wherein the back seam is eliminated.

Figure 3 is a view shown in upper assembly and illustrating the next successive step in the process of this invention.

Figure 4 is a view of an upper assembly in condition to be lasted.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a shoe constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 6 is a rear view of a shoe constructed in accordance with the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention the procedure in the manufacture of shoes of the infolded top or blind-seam type is such as to permit the manufacture of such shoe without necessitating separate quarter portions and thus eliminating the necessity for a back seam. In accordance with the present invention, a continuous piece of upper material shaped to form both quarter portions and extending around the back part of a shoe is preferably connected to its lining in such a manner that the stitching or other securing means employed is concealed from view whereby a substantially seamless appearing shoe is presented. It will be understood that the features of the present invention may be embodied in shoes of any desired type or character, and although the shoe and shoe parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing and hereinafter described, are of the oxford type, it is to be dis tinctly understood that the invention is not limited to shoes of this type, but is equally applicable to other types. 5

Referring now particularly to the drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a continuous piece of upper material I may be cut to the shape desired to form both quarter portions of a shoe. A shape suitable for thecon- 1c struction of oxfords is illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the piece of material is provided with extension 2 at each end thereof which are adapted to extend up the side of the foot and receive the laces. The intermediate portion of the piece 15 of upper material I, it will be understood, forms the back portion of the shoe and the quarter portions are formed by those sections which are adjacent the extensions 2. The margin 3 between the extensions 2 will define the opening of the finished shoe.

If desired, and in order to facilitate lasting of the shoe constructed in accordance with the present invention, one or more notches such as 4 may be cut in the marginal edge of the piece of upper material I opposite the margin 3. Such notches as 6 may extend inwardly from the edge of the piece of material I for a distance sufiicient to avoid undue creasing of the upper materials after being lasted over the heel end of the shoe bottom and particularly at the back. By the provision of one or more notches such as 4 in the upper proper, as well as in the lining, if desired, it is apparent that the use of a continuous piece as distinguished from separate quarters at is facilitated particularly since the provision of notches or serrations adapts the leather or other shoe material to be more readily worked into shape and especially around the curved portion at the back of the shoe. Such notches as 4 may be cut into the material at any desired stage of the process, and it will be understood that this need not be done until just prior to the lasting operation if more convenient.

The continuous piece of upper material I may in the case of oxfords have its opposite ends 5 secured to opposite sides of the throat of a suitable vamp such as 6. This may be accomplished by any suitable fastening means such, for .instance, as a line of stitching I. The lining for the upper so formed may be similarly formed, or formed in any suitable manner.

The upper material, comprising the piece I connected to the vamp 6 in the manner just described, may then be assembled with a lining 8 and the same secured together. In accordance with the present invention, the lining 8 and the upper material I are secured together in such a manner, which in the illustrated embodiment is a line of stitching, that it will not be visible in the finished shoe. In Figure 2 the upper material is assembled with its lining in such a manner as to permit securing in the manner just described. As illustrated in Figure 2, the upper material I is assembled with the lining in such manner that the obverse faces thereof, which is the case of leather will be the grain side, are in contact. With the upper and lining in this position, a line of stitching 9 may be run through the same around the throat opening so as to secure the parts together and maintain the obverse surfaces or grain sides of the upper and lining in contact at the seam. 7

It is apparent that when the materials are stitched in the position just described, the materials must be turned or invaginated in such a manner as to expose the obverse face or grain side of the upper on the outside of the shoe and the corresponding surface of the lining on the inside of the shoe. Accordingly the upper and its lining may he separated as shown in Figure 3 by pulling apart the unsecured edges thereof. The marginal edges Iii and ii of the lining 8 may then be turned inwardly as indicated by the arrows and in dot and dash lines and the same pulled through the opening defined by the margin 3 of the piece of upper material I. With the upper thus invaginated, it is apparent that the materials will be assembled in the position illustrated in Figure 4 with the obverse side, or in the case of leather the grain side of the pieces of material I and t exposed in position to form the exterior of the shoe, while the obverse side of the lining 8 will be in position to form the interior of the shoe. With the shoe parts in the position illustrated in Figure 4, it is apparent that the line of stitching S which secures the lining 8 to the upper is concealed in the crease formed at the margin of the shoe opening. Accordingly that portion of the upper material shown outwardly beyond the line of stitching 9 in Figure 2 is now interposed between the lining 8 of the upper material I so that it is concealed and in fact beccmes a blind-seam. In the finished shoe, the junction between the piece of upper material I and the lining 8 will appear as a continuous crease I2 as clearly shown in Figure 5.

With the upper materials assembled in the positions as shown in Figure 4 the lasting operation may be proceeded with, but if desired, a convenient number of notches such as 4 may be out into the upper material I and the lining 8 along that margin which is to be lasted over the shoe bottom at the heel end, and particularly at the very back of the shoe. As pointed out hereinbefore, the material may have been notched, as a preliminary step, but if more convenient such notching may be accomplished at this time. By notching the materials at this stage of the process, it is apparent that both the lining and the upper material may be notched in a single operation. Lasting and further shoe making operations are then proceeded ,with in the usual to manner.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention contemplates an infolded top or blindseamed shoe wherein the securing means between the upper and the lining is completely concealed and in which a continuous piece of material is provided for forming both quarters of the back portion of the upper, thereby eliminating the unsightly back seam. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details hereinbefore set forth for the purpose of illustration, nor to the particular type of shoe hereinbefore described. Many modifications will present themselves to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of this 95 invention, and it is to be distinctly understood, therefore, that such modifications and the use of such individual features and sub-combinations of features as do' not depart from the spirit of this invention are, although not specifically described herein, contemplated by and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, cutting an integral quarter section and a vamp of a shape such that when the respective ends of the quarter section are connected to the opposite sides of the vamp a closed upper of nonlaniform shape is formed, connecting the ends 40 of the quarter section to opposite sides of the vamp, thereafter securing a continuous lining for the vamp and quarter section to the upper in the region of the opening and with the obverse faces of the upper and lining in contact, and invagimating the upper and lining.

2. A shoe comprising, a vamp, a continuous piece of quarter material extending around the back and connected to the vamp atboth sides of the shoe and shaped so as to forma non-planiform upper, a non-planiform lining for the vamp andcontinuous quarter piece, and'a line of stitching securing the lining to the upper with the ob verse faces thereof in contact at the seam, said line of stitching constituting the only connectionbetween the vamp and its lining.

ARTHUR BRAUER. FREDERICK P. WAGNER. 

